Place name search
You don't have to be a language expert to work out what some of the place names in Wales may mean. This new search tool aims to help uncover the meaning behind them.
It includes hundreds of Welsh, English, Norse and French word elements which make up the names of our cities, towns, villages and even houses, farms, streets and buildings.
How to search
Enter the name of a place or even part of a name into the green search bar available on all pages.
Once you have clicked 'search', the tool will propose one of the following:
- a breakdown of the possible word elements within the place name to help you to interpret its meaning, or
- the definitive meaning of a place name, verified by our expert
There's always a link to more in-depth articles which introduce you to some of the main themes related to Wales' place names.
About the search tool
This is a beta version of the application and we'll be refining it as it grows. It is not a translation tool and the meaning offered for some word elements is only relevant in the context of place names.
Only historical forms as they appear in the earliest documents can reveal a place name's ultimate derivation and meaning.
Many place names do actually mean what they appear to mean, but it's equally true that many names are not what they seem. So, automated suggestions are open to debate and may not be completely accurate in every case.
We have tried to take these exceptions into account and provide the definitive meaning of some well-known places or names.
Find out why the place name search doesn't provide a useful answer to all queries.
How you can help
Send in your comments about place names! Many names are open to other interpretations and there's always a funny story, a folk tale or further questions to ask about a place name that others may not have heard or considered.
We would also be grateful if you could inform us of any omissions or suggestions for the application. If you don't get a reasonable result, we'll try to fill in the gaps.
With thanks to:
- Professor Hywel Wyn Owen, Director of the Place-name Research Centre at the University of Wales, Bangor
- Canolfan Bedwyr
- Ordnance survey - for the use of the place-name elements provided by Professor Hywel Wyn Owen for the OS website
